WWYD: birthday parties

[tiggerkid]

Hi everyone,

Need some advice: my son has been invited to a birthday party. The girl is his classmate. She is having a combined party with another girl, who is her friend. My son would like to go to that party as everyone from their class is going but he doesn't know the other girl.

We feel it would be a bit awkward to turn up with a present for the classmate and totally ignore the other girl. Probably a stupid question but we've never been to any joint parties before and don't really know what the best thing to do would be. So I am after some wisdom here :) What would you do/suggest? Many thanks in advance.

Maybe just take a card or a very small token gift like some sweets for her?

I agree it's a strange concept when they'll both be inviting children that the other child doesn't know

I'd take the other girl a card and a box of sweets personally. I know others would just take the child the invite is from but as long as it wouldn't burst a very tight budget I think it would be nice to acknowledge her in a non expensive way.

Are you on a tight budget?

If not, just buy a little something to wrap up for the other girl and spend your usual amount on his real friend.

Seems a shame for him to be stressing when you could get a little jewellery set for a couple of quid from Primark or whatevs.

The other child's parent will not be expecting gifts from children her child doesn't know. My add and her NCT friend had a joint soft play party a few years back. DD didn't get gifts from other party child's invitees and her friends didn't buy for the other girl. Only children who knew both brought gifts for both. So just buy for classmate.

DD not add

I think it's fine just to take along a present for the birthday child who invited you. We had a similar situation with a joint party for 2 brothers of different ages. Each brother had invited some of his classmates and the guests just brought presents for their peer, not the other brother. I don't think anyone would expect you to take a present for someone you don't know.

I'd do card and token gift

Surely if they are all in the same class they know each other? I'd take gifts for both.

Do a card and a sticker book for the other girl

The op did not say that the other girl is a classmate she said he doesn't know her.
Only take present for the child that invited you. The other child won't even know who your son is.

These joint parties consist of 40 kids bringing small gifts

Most parents do not want a house full of gifts

Give to the one he knows the other child won't notice

I have twins - joint parties were separate invites and separate gifts - I never expected parents to provide a gift each - just the invitee if they so chose.

Some gave small gifts - some didn't - it's appreciated but not necessary

Just take a gift for the child who invited him. We had a joint party for youngest son and a girl in his class who had a birthday two days before his. He invited the boys, she invited the girls. They got gifts from the kids they invited.

Then her parents screwed us on the cost, but that's a different story.

Just take a gift for the girl who invited your DS. No one expects a gift from someone they don't know

We have a joint party pretty much every year as DD and DS's birthdays are 2 weeks apart. We never expect a present from DD's friend for DS and vice versa, it would prove very expensive for the parents and we would end up with a pile of tat.

Definitely no need to take anything for the hold you don't know. We've been to lots of joint parties (and had a joint party for my DC this year) and nobody bought gifts for the child they didn't know. It's not expected.

I have twins in different classes, each twins invites their class and (some buy for both) but if asked I always say - no just the child that invited you. I am sure just a present for the invitee is fine